Born and raised in Waterloo, Ontario, Michael had the typical Canadian boyhood. You know, hockey player by age 3, his own ice rink in the backyard by age 4 (thanks again Dad), hockey fight by age 5 (sorry again about the stick to the head guys), and 6 a.m. hockey practices all the way through his school years (sorry about that Dad).

A life filled with sports led Michael to college for sports marketing. He graduated from the University of Waterloo in Recreation and Leisure Studies and then did his MBA at Wilfrid Laurier and went on to pursue his career in the U.S. Living in Atlanta, Georgia for many years as well as Europe led to work with The Olympic Games, The World Cup and other fun stuff like that.

This obviously led him to become an actor. Err, What? Yeah, well, life isn't always linear; it was time for a new, more creative direction. Michael started his acting career on the stage in Atlanta. Over the years he has studied with many of New York's finest acting coaches and enjoyed successes on the stage and screen in many independent movies, spots on soaps and commercials. When he's not touring with CAVEMAN he lives in Manhattan.

 

 

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Thursday, September 27, 2007
- Gary Budzak

Differences between sexes stir up laughs, understanding

Sometimes, humor helps clarify why your mate's habits can be so annoying. Maybe, for instance, the differences between the sexes go back thousands of years. That's the message of Defending the Caveman, the longest-running solo play in Broadway history (with more than 700 shows) -- which the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts will present next week in the Southern Theatre.

Written by comedian Rob Becker, the 90-minute one-man show will be performed by Michael Van Osch. "It's really about the differences between men and women and how those differences get us into trouble," Canadian-born Van Osch, 41, said from Stamford, Conn. "To give you an example: . . . If a woman says something that a man doesn't understand, I think we're OK with that; I think we think they're mysterious. But if a man says something a woman doesn't understand, they just think we're wrong! So Defending the Caveman is out to . . . say, 'Hey, men aren't wrong; we're just different.' "

Van Osch auditioned for Caveman soon after he moved to New York. He has starred in it for more than two years. "It's just a very fun show to do," he said. "It's the kind of thing that not only the audience enjoys but I enjoy it every time I do it." Despite the title, the adult-themed production doesn't knock women, Van Osch said; in fact, it sometimes helps relationships. "I'll see a couple come in, and it looks like they probably had a spat in the parking lot or something. "And as the story progresses, . . . they start to nudge each other a little bit. And they start to point to each other and . . . giggle and laugh. "And more often than not, at the end of the show, I see them get up and walk out arm in arm or arm around each other."

 

 

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Page last updated on October 2, 2007.